Insect Pests Occurring in Storage Medicinal Plants

Most oriental medicinal plants in domestic markets have been imported, but these medicines are being easily exposed to many insect pests because of the poorness of storage facilities. This study was carried out to identify stored products insect pests occurring in 158 storage medicinal plants belonging to 134 genera of 67 families. No insect pests were not observed in 44 medicinal plants including Artemisia argyi Levl. et Vant., Cassia sieboldii Presl., and Juniperus chinensis L. Most commonly observed stored products insect pests in the surveyed medicinal plants were the order of as follows; Ahasverus advena(Waltl) 12.3%, Lasioderma serricorne F. 11.5%, Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. 10.3%, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) 9.4%, Stegobium paniceum L. 8.4%, and Plodia interpunctella(Hbner) 7.9%. And these insects also are likely to prefer more root or rhizome part than the other ones. Based on these basic survey results, natural products researchers can obtain an important information in finding an insecticidal or fumigant compounds contained in the medicinal plants which any insect pests do not attack.